Buffer vs OneUp (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, we pick Buffer: it is first in our ranking of social media schedulers, and it grades higher too, 2.8 against 2.2.
Checked Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Buffer grades higher on the free plan and ease of use. OneUp grades higher on features. They get the same grade on value for money and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Buffer
Social media scheduler priced by the channel, with a free plan
OneUp
Social media scheduler with cross-posting, inbox and listening
Which one is for you
Pick Buffer if
- Fits if you post to a few channels and want to pay only for those
- Works for one person running up to 3 accounts on the free plan
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you keep adding channels on Team, since every one is $10 a month, including the three that were free
- Too light for teams that live in DMs, as its inbox is described for comments, and there's no competitor tracking on record
- Tight if you're staying free, with 10 queued posts per channel, 1 user and 30 days of analytics
- Not for you if you need approvals or more than one user on Essentials, as those need Team
- Watch out: Instagram personal profiles and Facebook groups get a reminder to post by hand, not automatic publishing
Pick OneUp if
- Fits if you manage a few accounts and want posts repeated on a schedule
- Works for agencies that need approvals and client access
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you schedule more than 300 posts, which is the Basic cap
- Not for you if you want X analytics or X listening on Basic
- Skip it if you need team members on Basic, as it has none
- Watch out: analytics history is 3 months on Basic, and Enterprise starts at $2,000 a month
How we grade them
| 2.8GPABufferGood | 2.2GPAOneUpFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CFive channels on Team, which a team needs because Essentials is one user, is $50 a month billed yearly ($10 a channel). That's above this category's $29 middle and under the $58 where the dearer quarter starts. On your own, Essentials is $25 for five. | CBasic is $15 a month on yearly billing for 5 accounts, just above the $14 cheaper-quarter line. Extra accounts are $5 each. |
| Free plan and trial | BFree for good with up to 3 channels, AI help, a comment inbox and 30 days of insights. One person can run three accounts on it. The catch is 10 queued posts per channel at a time and a single user. | DA 7-day trial with a refund if you cancel in the week after, and no free plan. The listing does not say whether a card is needed. |
| Features | CQueue, calendar, ideas board, AI help, reports and an API across 12 networks. The gaps it shows: the inbox is described for comments only, there's no competitor tracking on record, and Instagram personal profiles and Facebook groups only get a reminder to post by hand. | BScheduling, recycling, cross-posting, inbox, approvals, listening, analytics and an API. The listing shows no gap in the core job. |
| Ease of use | AIts iPhone and iPad app averages 4.7 from about 34,600 ratings, and the free plan needs nothing but your social accounts connected. | CA web app where you connect accounts and set up cross-posting workflows. No store rating on record. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, iPhone, Android and a Chrome extension, plus an API on every plan, an MCP server, and Canva, Zapier, Make and WordPress. No desktop app, which is what an A needs. | BWeb, iPhone, Android and a browser extension, with Canva, Zapier, Google Drive and more. No desktop app. |
| Best for | paying only for the channels you use | scheduling and cross-posting for several accounts |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Buffer and OneUp. How we grade
Price against what you get
Buffer starts at $5 a month and scores 3.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. OneUp starts at $15 a month and scores 2.7.
Buffer scores higher and starts $10 a month lower. Of the other social media schedulers on the chart, none scores higher than Buffer for less, and 3 score higher than OneUp for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Buffer also covers templates.
- OneUp also covers workflow automation.
At a glance
| Buffer | OneUp | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free trial |
| Starts at | $5 per channel / month, billed annually ($6 billed monthly) | $15 per month for 5 accounts, billed annually ($25 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | Up to 3 channels, 10 scheduled posts per channel at a time, 1 user, 100 saved ideas and 30 days of analytics history. | None |
| Free trial | 14-day free trial of the paid plans | 7-day free trial; 100% refund if you cancel within a week after it ends |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Buffer | OneUp |
| Price read from | buffer.com | oneupapp.io |
| Checked | Oct 17, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Buffer
- The Free plan holds only 10 scheduled posts per channel at a time and keeps 30 days of analytics.
- Essentials allows a single user; approval workflows, access controls and branded reports need Team.
- Upgrading means paying for every connected channel, including the three that were free.
- Instagram personal profiles and Facebook groups get reminder notifications to post by hand, not automatic publishing.
OneUp
- Basic caps scheduled posts at 300 and Intermediate at 800; only higher plans are unlimited.
- X analytics and X listening are not on Basic; link posts to X need a paid add-on.
- Basic has no extra team members, and X accounts are capped at 2 on Basic.
- Analytics history is kept for 3 months on Basic and 12 months on Intermediate.
Key features
Buffer
- Queue and calendar
- Posts go into a per-channel queue or onto a visual calendar for Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok, X, Threads, Bluesky, Mastodon, Pinterest, YouTube, Substack and Google Business Profile.
- Ideas and AI Assistant
- An ideas board stores drafts and inspiration (100 on Free, unlimited on paid plans), and the AI Assistant helps write and repurpose posts on every plan.
- Community inbox
- Comments from connected accounts can be answered in one place, with saved replies and AI reply suggestions (5 a week on Free).
- Analytics and reports
- Insights cover follower growth, engagement and post performance. Free keeps 30 days of history; paid plans add reports and UTM tags, and Team adds branded reports.
- Start Page
- A link-in-bio page builder is included on every plan, alongside link shortening and a Chrome extension for sharing from any web page.
- API and MCP server
- Every plan includes API keys, from 3,000 requests a month on Free to 15,000 on Team, and Buffer lists a social media MCP server for AI tools.
OneUp
- Scheduling and recycling
- Queue posts into timeslots, repeat them on a cycle, and bulk upload through CSV, Google Sheets, Google Drive or Dropbox.
- Automatic cross-posting
- A post made on one connected account can be copied to the others automatically, within each plan's workflow limit.
- Social inbox
- Reply to Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp DMs and to comments on several networks from one place.
- Approvals and client access
- Send posts to clients for approval, share view-only calendar links and let clients connect accounts without logging in.
- Listening and analytics
- Track keywords for mentions and send white-labeled PDF or CSV reports; limits on keywords and report counts rise by plan.
- API and MCP
- Every plan can schedule posts, reply to comments and read analytics through the API and MCP.
Plans
Buffer
Free$0
Up to 3 channels and 1 user, 10 queued posts per channel at a time, the AI Assistant and a comment inbox.
Essentials$5
per channel / month, billed annually ($6 billed monthly)
1 user, unlimited scheduled posts, hashtag manager, first-comment scheduling and reports. The rate per channel drops after 10: $100 a month at 25 channels, billed annually.
Team$10
per channel / month, billed annually ($12 billed monthly)
Unlimited team members, approval workflows, access levels and branded reports. $150 a month at 25 channels, billed annually.
OneUp
Basic$15
per month for 5 accounts, billed annually ($25 billed monthly)
300 scheduled posts, 1 cross-posting workflow, no extra team members; extra accounts $5 each a month.
Intermediate$48
per month for 15 accounts, billed annually ($60 billed monthly)
800 scheduled posts, 3 cross-posting workflows and 2 extra team members; extra accounts $4 each a month.
Growth$84
per month for 30 accounts, billed annually ($120 billed monthly)
Unlimited posts, 5 cross-posting workflows, 8 extra team members and X analytics; extra accounts $3 each.
Business$240
per month for 80 accounts, billed annually ($300 billed monthly)
Unlimited posts, 8 cross-posting workflows and 20 team members; extra accounts $1 each a month.
Enterprise$2,000
per month and up
For more than 100 accounts: everything in Business plus SOC 2 and ISO 27001 certification.
Ways to pay less
Buffer
- Annual discount
About two months free with yearly billing
Yearly billing brings Essentials to $5 a channel a month from $6, and Team to $10 from $12. The pricing page calls it saving two months.
- Nonprofit
50% off for nonprofits and charities
Buffer's pricing FAQ offers nonprofit and charity organizations a 50% discount on its paid plans.
OneUp
- Annual discount
Save with annual billing
OneUp's pricing page shows lower monthly rates when billed annually, for example Basic at $15 a month against $25 billed monthly.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Buffer or OneUp?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Buffer is cheaper to start with: $5 a month, against $15 a month for OneUp. Buffer starts at $5 per channel / month, billed annually ($6 billed monthly), and OneUp starts at $15 per month for 5 accounts, billed annually ($25 billed monthly).
Which has a free plan, Buffer or OneUp?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Buffer has a free plan. OneUp does not, though it has a free trial.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.